Commissioners Approve Grant for CCAD MindMarket Business Incubator Project

Appreciating and investing in art reaps the benefit of jobs, economic growth, and a better quality of life for all of Franklin County. We are fortunate to have the Columbus College of Art & Design (CCAD) – whose mission it is to prepare tomorrow’s creative leaders for professional careers – located in our community.

A high percentage of CCAD graduates start their own businesses. To promote the success of these entrepreneurial efforts, this morning, Commissioners approved $75,000 for a new collaboration with CCAD to support the MindMarket Business Incubator Project, which mentors art and design businesses by providing start-up work space, coaching by business professionals and industry leaders, entrepreneurial training, business plan assistance and networking opportunities with capital funders.

The 2013 Benchmarking Central Ohio report compiled by Community Research Partners, the Columbus Partnership and The Columbus Foundation evaluated the number of entrepreneurs in Central Ohio as well as the number of small business start-ups and compared those findings with communities across the United States. Central Ohio ranked near or at the bottom, behind the cities of Portland (OR), Nashville (TN), Raleigh (NC) and others.

“Franklin County is funding innovating and exciting projects like the MindMarket because we want to spark and support the entrepreneurial spirit in our community. Franklin County’s direct involvement seeks to reverse the trend of ranking low for both entrepreneurship and start-up businesses in Central Ohio by investing in a creative class, and jobs for existing residents,” said Board President Marilyn Brown.
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 Editor’s note: A copy of the 2013 Benchmarking Central Ohio report is available here. The resolution approved by the Franklin County Board of Commissioners is available here.